Quote of The Day 3-31-13

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"Attention is rewarded by a knowledge of reality."

-Iris Murdoch

I place a high premium on awareness.   And I believe that a knowledge of reality is synonymous with awareness.  I also believe that awareness brings us in touch with our neighbors and natural surroundings.  And that I believe is a defining attribute of being a human being.  For we can only improve upon our compassion and love when we are in touch with the reward that is reality.

Iris Murdoch (1919-1999) was an Irish-born British author.  Her novels typically contained subject matter pertaining to the relationship of good and evil, sexuality,  ethics, and the unconscious mind.  In 1987 Murdoch was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire, and her first novel, Under The Net, was chosen by the Modern Library as one of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century in 1998. 

Quote of The Day 3/30/13

"It does not require many words to speak the truth."

-Chief Joseph

Enough said.

Chief Joseph (1840-1904) was a leader of the Wal-lam-wat-kain (Wallowa), a sect of the Nez Perce Native American tribe indigenous to the Wallowa Valley in Northeastern Oregon.  The Wallowa were forced from their homeland by the U.S. Government.  Chief Joseph lead resistance against this removal and ultimately was driven to seek political asylum in Canada with Sioux chief Sitting Bull.  Chief Joseph was pursued by the U.S. Army, led by General Oliver O. Howard, for an astonishing 1,170 miles in 1877.  The ensuing battles and pursuit were branded as the Nez Perce war.  Chief Joseph was heralded and admired for his honorable defiance.

Quote of The Day 3/29/13

"Change in all things is sweet."

-Aristotle

A quick sweet one for today.  Some, and possibly many, will disagree with the sentiment provided in today's quote.  But for me, this one rings true.  I enjoy change.  I have a hunger for new perspectives and fresh stimuli.  And change is quite natural.  So few things, if any, stay the same.  I can understand the comfort of constants and reliability.  However, embracing change no matter how great or small can be very liberating.

Aristotle (384-322 BC) was a Greek philosopher.  He is historically well known as the pupil of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great.  One of the most significant founders of Western thought in history, Aristotle is heralded for his wonderful writings on subjects such as politics, logic, theater, music, ethics, and metaphysics amongst many others.  Unfortunately it is believed that as much as two thirds of his vast writings have not survived the ages.

Quote of The Day 3/28/13

"There are years that ask questions and years that answer."

-Zora Neale Hurston

Life is an ongoing challenge, it never stops.  Often we may desire fulfillment that does not present itself as soon as we would like.  And other times we may yearn to know what our purpose is.  These questions and answers do not come in clean, clear cut packages.  Though we may long for a black and white world in which our impulses are satisfied immediately, it just does not happen that way.  Patience, tolerance, and understanding are necessary traits to transcend our unguided impulses.

Zora Neale Hurston (1891-1960) was an American author.  Hurston was also a folklorist and an anthropologist.   She is associated with the Harlem Renaissance and is best known for her novel Their Eyes Were Watching God.

Quote of The Day 3/27/13

"Hope and fear cannot alter the seasons."

-Chogyam Trungpa

Human emotion is undoubtedly a mystical and powerful asset of our nature.  It has given rise to many happenings in this world both great and small, meaningful and indifferent, good and bad.  Though one force trumps our hominid affectations: the power of the natural world we live in.  This we must accept unequivocally.  It is important to recognize this greater force, it keeps us humble and it keeps us grounded.  Except if you live in Southern California where there are no seasons...

Chogyam Trungpa (1939-1987) was a widely acknowledged teacher of Tibetan Buddhism.  Among his achievements were the establishment of Vajrahatu and Naropa Universities, the introduction of Vajrayana teaching in the West, and the translation of a great volume of Tibetan texts.  Aside from being a teacher, Trungpa was also a poet, an artist, and the pioneer for the progressive re-shaping of Shambala vision.  Though his teachings and ideas were considered controversial, Trungpa remains a pillar of Buddhist thought.

Quote of The Day 3/26/13

 

Not sure of the accuracy of this photo but I'm going to go with it

"Your treasure house is within; it contains all you’ll ever need."

-Baizhang Huai-hai

Kicking it Zen style today here at QOD.  This one is straight up, you most likely have heard it said many times and many ways; no I am certainly not referring to the popular Christian holiday based on pagan rituals (right? Saturnalia and such?) that celebrates a fat, jolly man that breaks into people's homes and steals cookies and milk in exchange for gifts for young children.  Anywho, I am simply talking about loving one's self.  It is truly the only object you are given in this world; the singular physical body that one is privileged to know and feel throughout the time we are allowed on this planet.  And the heart that operates inside you, which drives the machine that is you and unites physical stimuli with your emotional depths and amalgamates all that surrounds you into consciousness, really is all one ever needs.  That is your treasure house.  Everything else that we label is a side effect.  Embrace yourself from the inside, and love your life.

Baizhang Huai-hai (720-814) was a Chinese Zen teacher.  He lived during the Tang Dynasty and amongst his students were significant Zen proponents Huangbo Xiyun, Linji Yixuan, and Puhua.  Writer Thomas Cleary has translated Huai-hai's teachings in Sayings and Doings of Pai-Chang.  Huai-hai is also credited with the Wild Fox koan.  

Quote of The Day 3/25/13

"How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you was?"

-Satchel Paige

Okay.  I am back.  And I am going to stick to it this time.  Promise.  (Yeah right).

So.  Love this one.  And not simply because the legendary pitcher played for my hometown team the Cleveland Indians; though, my loyalty to my stomping grounds certainly does not deter my admiration of the quote.  I truly appreciate this statement because it ultimately trivializes the concept of age.  Age is merely a number that records time.  What age does not necessarily relate is the quantity or quality of experience, attitude, or ambition amongst other intangible elements of the human personality.  Too often, age is a restrictive device that can potentially apply unnecessary limits and even discriminate.  And surely, superfluous boundaries and causeless stipulations are bound to be transcended as Mr. Paige demonstrated in his time by becoming the "oldest" rookie to play in Major League Baseball at the age of 42.

Leroy "Satchel" Paige (1906-1982) was an American baseball player.  His incredible pitching skills and extreme confident nature drew record crowds across the nation.  He is famous for instructing his infield teammates to sit down while he subsequently struck out the other teams side.  Paige was inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1971 and was the first to be so for his achievements in the Negro League.  Satchel Paige was truly an inspirational character.

Quote of The Day 3/10/13

"Never let your sense of morals keep you from doing what’s right."

-Isaac Asimov

Ah yes.  The old slippery slope of seemingly contradictory language trick.  

Now.  

Most would believe the concept of morals to be synonymous with "right and wrong", and thus assume that morals will keep someone in line by encouraging actions that correspond with what is right.  In other words, morals should keep you from doing what is WRONG...right?  Wrong.  Maybe.

Okay, enough sophomoric wordplay, to the point: one's idea of morally correct action may not necessarily correlate with righteous action.  Take it as you will.

Isaac Asimov (1920-1992) was an American author of science fiction novels and non-fiction science books.  He was an extremely prolific writer with over 500 books crediting his authorship or editorship.  He was considered one of the "Big Three" in science fiction writing during his lifetime, Robert A. Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke being the other two.  Asimov has the honor of his name representing the Isaac Asimov Literary Award, a Brooklyn elementary school, and a crater on Mars named asteroid 5020 Asimov.

Quote of The Day 3/9/13

"A permanent state of transition is man’s most noble condition."

-Juan Ramon Jimenez

  

So, here we are on a beautiful Saturday in March of the year 2013 and yet again I have another infrequent addition to my dreadfully unnecessary blog.

Anyway, a permanent state of transition.  I enjoy the audacity of this passage, certainly because I feel that I genuinely agree with Mr. Jimenez' comment.  Particular people may not agree with Jimenez that human beings are in a permanent state of transition.  Though biologically speaking, there is not much argument against the featured statement as of course the human body subjected to the elements and external stimuli is constantly adapting and functioning in some manner whether in a broad visible way or at an unseen microscopic level, as anything that exists in nature simply must.  But, in a more figurative sense - as with mental, spiritual, and less tangible aspects of the mind - I believe that Jimenez is correct stating that man is in a permanent state of transition.  And I also concur that it is "man's most noble condition".  For to transition is to adapt and absorb changes, and this is undeniably what has brought mankind to its present state, whether good or bad.  And as Gaga says it best, "Baby I was born this way."

Juan Ramon Jimenez (1881-1958) was a Spanish poet.  He was an extremely prolific writer and significantly championed the French notion of "pure poetry".  Pure poetry is concerned with the fundamental and natural beauty of language and does not intentionally impart a narrative or contain pedagogic content.  Jimenez married Spanish writer Zenobia Camprubi in 1916.  At the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War the couple lived in exile in Cuba, the U.S., and Puerto Rico.  In 1956 Jimenez received the Nobel Prize in Literature.

And I would also like to wish my brother Stephen a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY!